Physical vapor deposition (“PVD”) systems are used to deposit thin layers of a target material onto a substrate. PVD systems generally include a radio frequency (“RF”) generator that transmits a signal to a deposition chamber. An RF match having a variable impedance is generally located between the RF generator and the chamber. The RF match may be tuned, i.e., the impedance may be varied, to make the impedance of the RF match be the complex conjugate of the deposition chamber's impedance. Tuning the RF match reduces reflected power from the chamber, thereby increasing the power transferred from the RF generator to the chamber and into the plasma deposition process.
Conventional RF matches, however, are slow-acting, resulting in a power loss. Moreover, conventional RF matches often begin tuning in the wrong direction and have difficulty identifying and correcting this error. There is a need, therefore, for an improved RF match that overcomes the deficiencies of conventional systems.